Published: Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, April 5, 2013 at 11:55 a.m.

Janie George, seen here Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at the jewelry counter at Belk's in Independence Mall.

She can remember all the way back to when it was Belk Beery, and when the store was wrapped around the corner at Chestnut and Second and the customers could actually window shop the award-winning displays – especially during the holidays.

This day she is relaxing in the break room of the Belk store at Independence Mall, where she has been selling, primarily, costume jewelry and watches since it opened in 1979. She is taking a moment to daydream.

"You know," Janie said in a bit of a whisper, in case other lunching sales associates might overhear, "it will be 53 years in September. But I might retire because I really want to open a restaurant. Just breakfast and lunch. I happen to be an excellent cook."

While only she may fancy herself as a bon vivant, no one at the mall will argue that she is decidedly a highly visible whirlwind of selling, associating and just generally moving fast toward anything that catches her eye.

"One day a couple of years ago this man came rushing by all frustrated," remembers Janie. "He couldn't find any help over in men's. He was looking for a suit. So I sized him up and told him he was a 46 long. He couldn't believe I could tell. I marched him over to men's and he ended up buying two suits and three pairs of pants.

"And I didn't even get the sale."

Store manager Tre Stalings laughs at the story, noting that while it may suffer the facts, it has a ring of the possible with Janie as the lead character.

"There aren't many like her," he said. "I know 52 years is a long time, but Belk always has promoted lasting relationships with its employees. It still feels like a family here. It may not look like that out across the retail landscape, at other stores, for instance, but look at that stack of awards on my table over there. Those are for 10 and 20 and 25 years of service, and it seems like I'm giving a couple of them out each month."

When Janie started full-time in 1961, Belk Beery was a downtown cornerstone in what is now the main branch of the county library. She made 88 cents an hour – about 15 times less than she makes today – and was just beginning to collect a half-century of loyal customers.

"I love the customers," she said. "I think that's what keeps me going. If they come to my area and I'm not here, they'll leave. I have customers from Jacksonville who will call down to make sure I'm working before driving down to shop."

If she suddenly decides to start a new career with her restaurant, say into her 80s, she does have some background from back in the day.

In 1951, at age 16, she started waitressing at Mae's Barbecue in Bolivia, her aunt's place. Later, after marrying Charles George, she waitressed for her in-laws, Tucker and Jessie George, who owned Trail's End restaurant, which was noted for its steaks and seafood. "So I know barbecue and I know seafood," she said. "I'll call the restaurant ‘George's'."

She also knows from resiliency. At 19, just married, she was a freshman at Wilmington College, now the University of North Carolina Wilmington, when she and Charles were involved in a deadly traffic accident at 13th and Greenfield. She and Charles were among the survivors, but her broken leg took long to heal and she abandoned college.

Almost 40 years later, Charles died in a car accident a few years after retiring as a welder.

"He ran into a tanker truck," Janie said. "It was hard. But I had my son and grandsons, and my customers at Belk."

Her son, Charles Jr., owns Cases/Up, which provides staffing to area stores, especially supermarkets, to stock their shelves. One of her grandsons, Dakota, 22, manages the venture.

The other grandson, Chase, 27, owns and manages East Coast Tattoo Club near Monkey Junction, which Janie boasts "is the cleanest tattoo place in the county, according to the county health department."

Her work ethic goes both ways: Her mother, Ora Galloway McKeithan, taught elementary school in Brunswick County for 45 years.

Janie also teaches, sharing more than 50 years of tall tales and snappy stories with colleagues and customers – often accompanied by unanimous eye-rolling.

Example: She remembers the days when Belk Beery paid commission on sales.

"Why, I made so much commission selling handbags at the holidays one year they moved me out of that department," she said with unbridled assurance.

Commissions are long gone, replaced by "satisfactory performance ratings" based on sales volume. An unsatisfactory rating could have consequences for a lagging sales associate.

"Well I certainly wouldn't know about that," Janie said. "Never had one of those. Never will."

<p>Janie George is 77 and halfway through her 52nd year as a sales associate at Belk.</p><p>She can remember all the way back to when it was Belk Beery, and when the store was wrapped around the corner at Chestnut and Second and the customers could actually window shop the award-winning displays – especially during the holidays.</p><p>This day she is relaxing in the break room of the Belk store at <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9966"><b>Independence Mall</b></a>, where she has been selling, primarily, costume jewelry and watches since it opened in 1979. She is taking a moment to daydream.</p><p>"You know," Janie said in a bit of a whisper, in case other lunching sales associates might overhear, "it will be 53 years in September. But I might retire because I really want to open a restaurant. Just breakfast and lunch. I happen to be an excellent cook."</p><p>While only she may fancy herself as a bon vivant, no one at the mall will argue that she is decidedly a highly visible whirlwind of selling, associating and just generally moving fast toward anything that catches her eye.</p><p>"One day a couple of years ago this man came rushing by all frustrated," remembers Janie. "He couldn't find any help over in men's. He was looking for a suit. So I sized him up and told him he was a 46 long. He couldn't believe I could tell. I marched him over to men's and he ended up buying two suits and three pairs of pants.</p><p>"And I didn't even get the sale."</p><p>Store manager Tre Stalings laughs at the story, noting that while it may suffer the facts, it has a ring of the possible with Janie as the lead character.</p><p>"There aren't many like her," he said. "I know 52 years is a long time, but Belk always has promoted lasting relationships with its employees. It still feels like a family here. It may not look like that out across the retail landscape, at other stores, for instance, but look at that stack of awards on my table over there. Those are for 10 and 20 and 25 years of service, and it seems like I'm giving a couple of them out each month."</p><p>When Janie started full-time in 1961, Belk Beery was a downtown cornerstone in what is now the main branch of the county library. She made 88 cents an hour – about 15 times less than she makes today – and was just beginning to collect a half-century of loyal customers.</p><p>"I love the customers," she said. "I think that's what keeps me going. If they come to my area and I'm not here, they'll leave. I have customers from Jacksonville who will call down to make sure I'm working before driving down to shop."</p><p>If she suddenly decides to start a new career with her restaurant, say into her 80s, she does have some background from back in the day.</p><p>In 1951, at age 16, she started waitressing at Mae's Barbecue in Bolivia, her aunt's place. Later, after marrying Charles George, she waitressed for her in-laws, Tucker and Jessie George, who owned Trail's End restaurant, which was noted for its steaks and seafood. "So I know barbecue and I know seafood," she said. "I'll call the restaurant 'George's'."</p><p>She also knows from resiliency. At 19, just married, she was a freshman at Wilmington College, now the University of North Carolina Wilmington, when she and Charles were involved in a deadly traffic accident at 13th and Greenfield. She and Charles were among the survivors, but her broken leg took long to heal and she abandoned college.</p><p>Almost 40 years later, Charles died in a car accident a few years after retiring as a welder.</p><p>"He ran into a tanker truck," Janie said. "It was hard. But I had my son and grandsons, and my customers at Belk."</p><p>Her son, Charles Jr., owns Cases/Up, which provides staffing to area stores, especially supermarkets, to stock their shelves. One of her grandsons, Dakota, 22, manages the venture.</p><p>The other grandson, Chase, 27, owns and manages East Coast Tattoo Club near Monkey Junction, which Janie boasts "is the cleanest tattoo place in the county, according to the county health department."</p><p>Her work ethic goes both ways: Her mother, Ora Galloway McKeithan, taught elementary school in Brunswick County for 45 years.</p><p>Janie also teaches, sharing more than 50 years of tall tales and snappy stories with colleagues and customers – often accompanied by unanimous eye-rolling. </p><p>Example: She remembers the days when Belk Beery paid commission on sales.</p><p>"Why, I made so much commission selling handbags at the holidays one year they moved me out of that department," she said with unbridled assurance.</p><p>Commissions are long gone, replaced by "satisfactory performance ratings" based on sales volume. An unsatisfactory rating could have consequences for a lagging sales associate.</p><p>"Well I certainly wouldn't know about that," Janie said. "Never had one of those. Never will."</p><p>Metro desk: 343-2384</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNewsOnline</p>